Stigma and Bipolar Disorder
Tomorrow is World Bipolar Day!
Many times I have heard people use the term 'bipolar' as an adjective that minimizes what many people actual experience when living with bipolar disorder.
What phrases have you heard people use that are stigmatizing and minimize bipolar disorder? Let's open up the conversation.
Stigma is: When someone says the weather is bipolar
@Kate
I have heard people using the term Bipolar in many different contexts...one of the most common ones is when someone gets upset about something and someone else just throws out the sentence "Wow, they are so bipolar...jeez they should just calm down"
People at my school tend to use this one a lot, and I really feel like it is a word that is thrown around so much to the point where many people don't really even know the definition of the word anymore.
There is a huge misconception around Bipolar Disorder and many people tend to think that someone who struggles with Bipolar Disorder is someone who just gets angry and perhaps even violent all of a sudden for absolutely no reason, mid-conversation and that they cannot control themselves.
The idea of someone who experiences Bipolar Disorder's mood changing quickly does have truth to it, however, it is very much blown out of proportion in our society, in my personal experience to the point where many people do not take it seriously and think that it is something that can be made fun of, which is not okay at all!
Many people don't even know that Bipolar Disorder consists of Depression and Mania or Hypomania or even Mixed Episodes.
I think it is so important to bring awareness to this mental illness because it is not just a term that can be thrown around like an adjective to make yourself sound cool.
It is not easy for people who are struggling with Bipolar Disorder and for others who don't understand what it's like to throw the term around loosely and act like it is nothing, can be very hurtful.
Tagging @emsworld to share her thoughts!
I did an internship with an organization that provides assistance to those with addictions, mental health issues, and developmental disabilities. My supervisor and I went to a client's house to do an assessment. At the house was the man we were there to talk to, and his cat. The cat kept rubbing up against us, and then trying to bite and scratch us. My supervisor decides to joke that the cat is "really bipolar", and my heart sinks. My supervisor knew I was bipolar, as I disclosed it before the internship started, but she still decided to make a joke that stigmatized a condition that, at that time, I was just learning to live with. I did confront her afterwards, and she apologized, but it still made me feel like crap to be compared to an angry cat.
@OddityBloggity Yeah, stigma in general can be hard to deal with. A lot of times it isn't even a conscious thing that people do. People are copiers and tend to repeat phrases without first contemplating the individual words being used. I think we as a society need to make that effort though to try to be aware of the word's meanings that we say and not using words like bipolar or gay or autistic out of context as inaccurate adjectives.
@OddityBloggity
That is awful and had to hurt bad. We will never know why people do the things they do. Good for you for standing up for yourself and getting apology.
If there was one thing you would ask someone that stigmatizes biplar disorders, what would it be?
I moved to a new are and in tryign to make friends, I decided to be up front about myself in the beginning as to avoid awkwardness later. After getting to know people just a short while, I let them know that I was bi-polar and invited them to ask me questions. That didn't go over so well. I've lived here for 2 years and still have no friends.
The stigma is a more life-long condition than the condition itself. People can live great lives with bipolar, and it can produce great human qualities, so I think the stigma comes from people just not understanding. Psychiatrists and Psychologists are in the greatest position to speak out, because they are recognized as having a valid opinion. Patients are affected by the stigma the most, but we have the least power to speak out, because people invalidate our opinions based on the label of a diagnosis. Doctors and drug companies have the most to gain from keeping the status quo, because as long as we cant talk about this in public or with family and friends, the only discussions that can happen are behind closed doors. But even then, the doctor has total control, so whether the world knows about it is not up to me.
@Stereooptics Stigma is definitely a major issue. It even impacts whether or not someone seeks treatment in the first place! Given how dangerous untreated bipolar disorder can be, it is so important to talk about stigma & misconceptions people have regarding mental illness. Seeing a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist should not be stigmatized; nor should having a diagnosis or psychiatric meds. I've even heard med students, doctors, & ER nurses use stigmatizing language, and they work with bipolar patients all of the time! I've had a professor tell me I shouldn't go to grad school because it would make me "unstable" (I have BD 1) - it's not fair!
@TarHeel18 Well, I know that rates of depression and suicide shoot up for individuals in the medical profession and i know grad school is an incredibly stressful place, so they may have had good intentions with trying to discourage you from being in a more stressful situation, but the way that professor went about saying that and the awful wording they used is totally inappropriate. Stress or no stress, bipolar or no bipolar, if you set your mind to something you can do great things. It afects moods, not what you're capable of overcoming and achieving in life, and it's awful for that professor to imply anything else.
Hi all, I can so relate to all you have bravely submitted on this forum.
I'm have Bipolar II AND am a therapist and sadly, even in the mental health field, there can be found stigma and what appears to be a discounting of the disorder. And yes, the "Bipolar Cat" thing is alive and well in my life, I do rescue and I hear it All The Time! Ugh! LOL!
I try to remember that I am not an expert on everyone and every condition and that I probably say things that people may view as ignorant or inconsiderate despite my best intentions ( I recently mentioned TTY to a hearing impaired client and she was very upset and called me archaic, even though that's what my agency still used, hello? wake up call! So I researched advances in communications with the hearing impaired).
My hope is that anyone I offend would educate me. I know with a mental health issue, we may not be comfortable saying anything or when we do, may not get the response we want. And? It's Not About Us!
And? Support and understading with like-minded spirits can be such a positive force. Hope you all continue to use this forum for the support you need. You Are NOT alone!
Good vibes your way, Diana
Bumping up this important post today on World Bipolar Day 2019!
